China's traffic straddling bus hits the road

China has built a bus that can carry about 300 passengers and at the same time drive above car traffic.

The straddling Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) went on its first road test in Qinhuangdao, China, on Tuesday.

According to RT, the environmentally-friendly bus is powered by electricity and solar energy generated by panels in its roof. Designed to maximise the use of road space, it is 22 meters long and 8 meters wide, which makes it able to blanket multiple lanes of traffic.

There are plans to increase the seating capacity of the bus to enable it carry 1,200 passengers.

The vehicle is expected to reach speeds of up to 60km per hour, running on rails laid along ordinary roads, according to a report by the BBC.

"The biggest advantage is that the bus will save lots of road space," the project's chief engineer, Song Youzhou, told state-media agency Xinhua earlier this year.

"The TEB has the same functions as the subway, while its cost of construction is less than one fifth of the subway," another engineer Bai Zhiming told news outlet CCTV.

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